South Hebron & Hebron
Hebron and South Hebron Hills, Tuesday, 12-9-06, AMObservers: Yael Z. (Hebrew report), Judy A. (English report)6:45-10:00Traffic and foot traffic was moving freely at the junctions along route 60. No military vehicles were in sight.7:30. Just before the turn to Kiryat Arba, we came across a temporary roadblock. Two soldiers were checking the passengers in the vehicles and taking green and orange identity cards from Palestinians. A third took the cards to a soldier sitting in a jeep who was recording the information in a ledger. Two young Palestinians were there waiting when we stopped and said they had been there for half an hour. While we were there, 5 tenders with yellow plates were stopped as were 3 PA taxis and the identity cards of the passengers taken. When we left at about 7:50, there were 8 vehicles waiting to advance to the check point. When we returned at 9:25, the roadblock was gone.8:15. In Hebron, we met two women from the Christian Peace Team who told us that things were quiet because of the teachers’ strike. At the Tarpat Junction, the new head mistress of a girls’ school and two teachers were waiting to pass through the metal gate. They were unwilling to go through the metal detector. The previous day they waited two hours until they were allowed to pass through. The head mistress had already called Hagit for help when we arrived and then tried Alex, the DCO of the area who said he would deal with the problem. When we left at 9:00, they were still waiting to go through the gate. We talked to several other Christian volunteers who are overseeing the passage of children to and from school. The UN observers (TIPH) have also returned to the area. There were a large number of Army jeeps and personnel in Hebron .We returned via routes 356 and 317. There was very little traffic but still – young settlers were seen waiting on the road for lifts.
Hebron
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According to Wye Plantation Accords (1997), Hebron is divided in two: H1 is under Palestinian Authority control, H2 is under Israeli control. In Hebron there are 170,000 Palestinian citizens, 60,000 of them in H2. Between the two areas are permanent checkpoints, manned at all hours, preventing Palestinian movement between them and controlling passage of permit holders such as teachers and schoolchildren. Some 800 Jews live in Avraham Avinu Quarter and Tel Rumeida, on Givat HaAvot and in the wholesale market.
Checkpoints observed in H2:
- Bet Hameriva CP- manned with a pillbox
- Kapisha quarter CP (the northern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
- The 160 turn CP (the southern side of Zion axis) - manned with a pillbox
- Avraham Avinu quarter - watch station
- The pharmacy CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
- Tarpat (1929) CP - checking inside a caravan with a magnometer
- Tel Rumeida CP - guarding station
- Beit Hadassah CP - guarding station
Three checkpoints around the Tomb of the Patriarchs
Muhammad D.May-13-2026Hebron - Request for compensation for land expropriation
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South Hebron Hills
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South Hebron Hills
South Hebron Hills is a large area in the West Bank's southern part.
Yatta is a major city in this area: right in the border zone between the fertile region of Hebron and its surroundings and the desert of the Hebron Hills. Yatta has about 64,000 inhabitants.
The surrounding villages are called Masafer Yatta (Yatta's daughter villages). Their inhabitants subsist on livestock and agriculture. Agriculture is possible only in small plots, especially near streams. Most of the area consists of rocky terraces.Since the beginning of the 1980s, many settlements have been established on the agricultural land cultivated by the Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills region: Carmel, Maon, Susia, Masadot Yehuda, Othniel, and more. Since the settlements were established and Palestinians cultivation areas have been reduced; the residents of the South Hebron Hills have been suffering from harassment by the settlers. Attempts to evict and demolish houses have continued, along with withholding water and electricity. The military and police usually refrain from intervening in violent incidents between settlers and Palestinians do not enforce the law when it comes to the investigation of extensive violent Jewish settlers. The harassment in the South Hebron Hills includes attacking and attempting to burn residential tents, harassing dogs, harming herds, and preventing access to pastures.
There are several checkpoints in the South Hebron Hills, on Routes 317 and 60. In most of them, no military presence is apparent, but rather an array of pillboxes monitor the villages. Roadblocks are frequently set up according to the settlers and the army's needs. These are located at the Zif Junction, the Dura-al Fawwar crossing, and the Sheep Junction at the southern entrance to Hebron.
Updated April 2022
Muhammad D.Jun-7-2026A stone placed by settlers on the road leading to the Thiel family's territory in Rahwa
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